


Bright Emersion

by Chanyeolspout



Series: Bright Emersion [1]
Category: EXO
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-17 16:03:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10597452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chanyeolspout/pseuds/Chanyeolspout
Summary: Sehun meets a girl





	1. Ch 1

“Please swipe it again,” I ask the barista.

I nervously tap my foot on the ground as I try to hold back my tears. My card cannot be declined. If I can’t afford coffee I can’t afford anything.

“Sorry, it’s not going through,” he says, handing me back the card with that sad expression on his face that is a blend of “I am truly sorry you’re in this” and “wow you are really broke,” and I am biting my lip so hard I’m scared I’ll draw blood.

I try to turn around and run away, hoping no one I know is nearby and I can avoid the public embarrassment, but the place is crowded and in my attempt to turn on my heels I bump into the person behind me.

“I’m sorry,” I apologize.

“Use this,” he says, holding out a gift card.

“What?”

“Use this gift card. I got it ages ago and never used it,” he pushes it towards me.

I face the barista again, order my latte, and hand over the gift card. He swipes it, it rings through, and I get handed my receipt. Just the way it should be.

“Thanks,” I say to the barista, and step aside to let my unknown savior near the counter.`

“Americano, please? And 2 of the banana muffins.” His order is plain but with an appetite, considering how skinny he looks.

I wait for my order hiding my face behind my thick woolen scarf, my head quickly running through all my expenses, all my income (actually none, but actually my parents’ loans to me), and how on earth I could manage to survive until the end of the week when the next “installment” comes in. An imaginary voice inside my head is optimistically saying “but maybe your card is demagnetized and that’s why it doesn’t work!” - good try, but not the truth. For a second I consider checking my balance, but I stop short, knowing it would confirm I’m broke and I’m not ready to face that reality. Not just yet, and definitely not with an empty stomach.

My latte comes up, and they call the americano at the same time, so the patron saint of my food is standing next to me as we both grab our drinks.

I look up at him, his eyes quite far up from mine. “Thank you for your gift card, I…I don’t know what to say,” I really couldn’t thank him enough, and my tears are now clouding my eyes.

“It’s not a problem, you seem to be having a tough day. Want a muffin? Come sit over there and eat with me, unless you’re in a rush?”

“Thanks but I think you’ve done enough for me today,” I hate charity, it makes me feel so desperate.

“Come on, let me do a good action today,” he says, holding the muffin out for me as a tempting treat.

“Ok… but I will have to pay you back sometime. I don’t know when, but I will.” I take the muffin and we motion to a table where I drop my book bag and take my big coat and scarf off.

He sits down after placing his coffee and muffin on the table, opens his coat to rest on the back of his chair and stares out of the window.

“I know it feels awful when the card won’t go through. You don’t need to pay me back,” he says, as if it is no big deal and doesn’t want to dive any further into it, “just enjoy your breakfast, ok?”

He looks back at me and nods towards my untouched coffee.

“Thank you… I have been having the worst of times and I can’t even tell you how much this kind gesture means to me,” I try hard to look at him in the eye and battle my tears to prove my sincerity, even if it’s killing me inside to know I just had to accept free stuff from a stranger.

“You’re welcome. I’m Sehun. You?”

I tell him my name, and I tip my muffin towards him as a “cheers!,” before I continue.

“I woke up late, and I just rushed through getting dressed,” I mention acknowledging my mismatched outfit, “I also left the house without breakfast and all that to end up knowing the class had been cancelled only once I got there and found an empty lecture room”

He smiles, “to be honest it happens to me more often than not. Time management is not something I’m good at! I should try and wear a watch but I always think oh I have my phone, but I never look at it, so we’re back at square one. And what class were you headed to?”

“Financial Mathematics. Fascinating texts as you can imagine… What about you, what’s your major? What are you studying?,” I ask him.

“English Lit department, I love reading and not having to work too hard,” he replies with a crooked smile. 

We sit silently for a couple of minutes and I get to have a good look at him as he eats his muffin. He has a long nicely shaped face - high and delicately wind-brushed cheekbones with a mid-length nose, a sharp jawline leading to a pointed chin, and a small lipped mouth concentrated in a strawberry shade. His eyebrows are expressive over his brown eyes, and his dark brown hair is short, standing up with just enough product to look good and not greasy. His profile is beautiful as if designed for perfection, and as if I’m hypnotized I wonder if he’s taken.

Because I don’t have enough troubles, I have to think of a boy to add into the mix.

“So what brings you to this side of campus, English is all the way on the other side,” I ask.

“Your libraries are quieter on this side,” he looks around at the people in the coffee house, “although you’d have a hard time believing it when you see how loud this place is.”

“Fewer of us use the libraries. Lots of online stuff for us, we leave actual books to you nerds,” I joke lightly, “so you don’t have class either?”

“I don't go to class. I’m a second year PhD student. I’ve got to check out a couple of old book editions and hopefully do some reading. What will you do with no class?”

I look out the window where it started to rain. My second class is looking more and more unappealing every minute, and considering it’s called Tax Auditing, it’s no wonder.

“I have no idea.”

We remain in silence for approximately 5 minutes, looking outside at pedestrians - I am looking at fashion choices, rude drivers soaking cyclists, and pondering how to tell my parents I burned through my allowance too fast again. 

“What are you staring at?,” I ask out of nowhere.

“Just life. I transferred here this year and I’m still getting used to the place. Do you know good spots?”

“To do what? I know good coffee and food but not where to score access to a rave, so you need to narrow it down a little!,” I laugh and he smiles that small crooked smile that makes his eyes close a little in a cute and youthful way.

“Well, coffee, sure. Food, sure. Good parks? Any fun walks through town?”

“Yeah sure!,” I follow up listing some places I enjoy going to, and while parks are a bit of a way away, in spring they’re full of fun and people enjoying the sun, so in some months they’ll be great for him.

The thing that startles me the most about my unlikely breakfast companion is the silences. The awkwardness between two strangers when there is a silence between them is not present here. I feel entirely at ease by this kind unknown guy called Sehun, and I find the difference refreshing.

Eventually it gets close to lunchtime and I know for a fact I don’t have the cash to spare to sit around and laze the day away.

“Well Sehun it’s been nice to meet you, and I can’t thank you enough for your generosity… I was in a real tight spot earlier today and you saved me. I can’t believe a stranger would be so kind,” I explain as I put my scarf around my neck, “I am going to go home to have my lunch and do some homework for tomorrow, but I would still like to make this up for you?”

“Ah, you don’t have to, Y/N, seriously.”

“Please? I’ll feel awful if I just go around life having taken money from you like that.”

“Give me your number,” he simply states.

“Pardon?”

“Your number. I would like it as payment for the coffee and muffin,” he gestures at the crumbs and empty cup.

“Oh, I guess, sure…”

“Unless you think this is weird? I liked chatting to you and I thought you enjoyed it too? If you don’t want to it’s fine…” he looks down at the table and scratches behind his ear.

“No, no, it’s good. I just, I’m not used to being asked for my number,” I write it down on a corner of paper and give it to him with my name on top. I’m ready to go, and look into his eyes from my standing position. “I guess… I better go.”

“Nice to meet you, Y/N. I’ll be in touch!”

I walk home in the light drizzle, at least it’s not gotten worse since it started earlier, but the weather is not the most dreadful thing I’m thinking about. I’ve to call my parents when I get in and discuss the situation. I hate putting financial burden on them and I have to admit my part of the blame - I suck at managing my money and I have got to learn to do it better, and I may end up needing to find a part-time job to supplement the money they give me every week. My academic life also sucks, since I don’t like what my major is offering me, my last team project was a disaster thanks to my lazy colleagues, and I’m stuck with this path because I’m halfway there on my second year so I may as well stay on the course.

I turn the key on the door to find my housemates watching loud tv, not giving a crap about their future and ignoring my request for everyone to keep their share of the kitchen clean. I make my way to my room with the last of my energies burning down and collapsed on the bed.

Looking up at the cracks on the ceiling, I feel tears welling up. It was my choice to come here, and it was my choice not to ask for a student loan, but I’m beginning to feel like a stone on my parents’ neck, I don’t know what I’m doing here, I hate my current living situation, and I feel depressed at the outlook of everything from this vantage point.

I decide to let the pain rush through me. Sometimes it’s the best thing you can do - let it come in, invade your senses, feel the intensity in you, make you cry, and only then you can recover.

When I wake up it’s dusk and I have a headache. I look at my alarm clock, it’s 4.45pm and I should make the call I’ve been dreading.

\--

It was a difficult call, but at least it let me get some weight off my shoulders. While my parents agreed to give me some more money, they also agree that they can’t provide more than they already do without jeopardizing their own existence, so I need to learn to be better with my finances, and unfortunately I need to find a part time job.

I made some cheap store ramen for my dinner and headed back upstairs to my room to do some reading to make up for the Tax Auditing class I missed out on, reveling in the fact that my housemates had gone out to some party. The silence was extraordinary and the howling wind and dripping rain outside lent me some beautiful background noises for this study session. At around 10pm I decided to go to bed if I was going to make my 8am class next day, but when I went to find my phone in my bag I found a text.

“Hope your day ended on a brighter note. Your coffee companion.”

I sat and looked at my phone, wondering why this stranger had been so kind to me today, and whether I had conveyed that he had truly saved me this morning. I chose to text back even though I was so tired.

“Sort of. Just about to go to sleep! Good night.”

\--

When I opened my eyes the next morning I knew it was time to put my game face on and start looking for a job. I checked all the coffee shops in town and none had any shifts that wouldn’t clash with my classes, so I moved on to retail - any shops with loud pop music would have given me a headache, and I was not too into working the night shift restocking at the local supermarket when most of my classes start at 8.30am.

I was beginning to give up hope when I walked past my favorite bookstore and they had an afternoon shift vacancy. A short conversation with the manager and I had a job. I walked home in high spirits and ready to figure out how to tackle my newly packed schedule. 

\--

The first days at the bookstore were a little crazy - so many new things to learn, codes, personnel ID, locations, subcategorization of topics…. but being surrounded by countless books made it all worth it. 

Opening each box felt like a present. New unreleased books to keep in stock for release days. New editions of old favorite classics. Reprints with new artwork. I cherished each and every paper cut I got, even if by the end of the day my head was numb with information, and an ever-growing list of “to-read” titles.

We are one of two bookstores within walking distance from campus, and the biggest one of the two. While the competitor was specializing in the non-fiction/technical aspect, we concentrate on literature and classics. We also have a small coffee shop inside with 4 tables and the most delicious hot chocolate, if I say so myself.

It was getting close to 8pm - closing time, and after 5 hours on my feet, I was beginning to feel sore. I had to go to the carts around the shop to gather up all the discarded books and place them in the main cart for restocking in the morning, so I set off to complete my task and immersed myself in the cover words, sometimes wondering why some books were together, oftentimes laughing at how a baking book ended up next to Anna Karenina.

The speakers roared loud with the “5 minutes to closing” message, meaning all hidden customers sitting on the floor by the windows and the corners started shuffling around. I thought I recognized someone amongst the crowd but I continued with my job, otherwise I would never finish.

45 minutes later I was finally done. I waved goodbye to the coffeehouse staff and my manager, bundled up in my coat and knitted hat and mittens and got ready to face the wind chill for my 30 minute walk home, but what shocked me the most was the face that greeted me outside the store.

“I see you found a job!”

“Oh my god, Sehun… hi!”


	2. Ch 2

“I saw you working and I didn’t want to disturb you, but I thought I’d wait around.. how are you?”

“I’m good,” I reply, huddling under the canopy at the front of the store, “you?”

“Alright,” he looked around somewhat uneasy, “listen, did this bother you? I mean, I texted you, your reply was a bit short, and I didn’t want to bother you again, but when I saw you today giggling at books, I just thought you looked cute so I decided to wait, but if you think this is weird I’ll leave you alone.”

“No no no, I… ok, the day we met, the night you texted me? I had a really tough time, I had to have a big conversation with my parents about money - I’ve blown through my savings and they have been lending me money, but they can’t stretch themselves further, and I spent most of that afternoon crying. I didn’t mean to be rude by text, or to seem uninterested… it was just bad timing,” I explain myself and hope that I didn’t turn him off with my sorry story.

“Ah, here I was thinking you were brushing me off,” he winces because of a particular strong gust of wind.

“Not at all,” I say through my chattering teeth.

“I’m dying here. I have to get to my car or I’ll freeze. Want a ride home?,” he points towards the street.

“I live sort of far, near the west side of campus, you probably don’t want to go that far off?,” even if I have no idea where he lives, I just don’t like imposing on people.

“You’ll freeze off into an icicle if you walk and then you won’t thaw out until summer, come on, let’s go,” he smiles and shuffles on his feet to get some warmth on his legs.

I hesitate for a second but the thought of a warm car for even a minute against a 30 minute battle against the wind is no competition, really. I follow him to his small car, and he opens the door for me like a true gentleman, making me giggle.

“What?,” he asks.

“No one ever opens doors for me, that’s all,” I say as I sit inside.

He comes around to the driver side and turns the engine on so warmth can be generated.

“Where to?”

I give him my address and we set off, reaching my house in under 10 minutes.

“Thank you so much for the ride, I owe you twice now - once for breakfast, and now this!”

“Not really. It’s all good.”

“Come up for a cup of coffee? Tea?,” I say hoping it will redeem my abuse of his generosity.

“Nah, it’s late and I should get home and have dinner…”

“Ok,” I say in a low voice. It’s not like I wanted to bring him inside to jump on him, but I’m afraid it may have come out that way.

“But tell me… about this owing me thing… how big is your employee discount? I’m a poor English Lit researcher on a budget!”

I laugh out loud at his suggestion. “Not very big, but maybe enough to make up for the breakfast thing?”

“Ok, then I’ll visit you at the bookstore more often!,” he smiles so wide that the cutest little pointy canines are visible. His eyes almost close all the way when he smiles, which is adorable.

“I’ll see you then. Thanks for the ride, again.”

“Don’t mention it,” he breathes deeply, “have a good night, ok?”

“You too.”

I step outside feeling the bite of the wind in my cheeks and grab my keys from my coat pocket, heading towards the steps on my doorstep. I turn around and see him still there, car running, looking at me. As I open the door and turn to look at him again, I see him set the car in gear and drive off.

\---

Managing my schedule of classes and work has got me running crazy through town and campus, but on the upside, it means I have no time to spend money on anything other than rent and food - sometimes. I must admit I have skipped some meals. Not the best thing to do when you’re so busy since you need your energy.

On this particular Saturday I’m headed to the stores to stock up on some groceries, fruit, cereal bars, and anything I can eat on the go. I’m listening to music on my iPod, set to my favorite playlist for uplifting anthems, which is why I don’t notice the arm that grabs me as I’m about to cross the road.

“You’re really in your own world, huh?”

“Sehun, oh my god, you nearly gave me a heart attack!”

“Not my intention, I promise,” he adjusts the strap of his messenger bag and takes gloves out of a pocket. 

“What are you doing around here?,” I ask as I shiver. Standing in the freezing cold is not my idea of fun.

“Groceries, you?”

“Same.”

“Mind if I tag along?,” he asks, tilting his head sideways while I fumble with my iPod to turn it off.

“Absolutely not, let’s get moving,” I motion to continue my stroll, and then think clearly for a second, “wait, why are you suffering with the pedestrians? You have a car!”

“Parking in town at the weekend? No way I’m wasting my time like that!”

I can’t help but agree with him. We walk the small hill to the supermarket, talking about his research for his paper, and me whining about the dry hands I’ve been getting from handling so much paper at the store. When we reach the supermarket, I grab a basket but he has a better idea as he places two baskets inside one trolley.

“That is what I call resourceful,” I laugh.

He pushes the trolley as we make our way through the aisles, me with my list, and he grabs a couple of things.

When we reach the checkout, I look at my full basket compared to his, and decide boys will be boys and he probably exists on takeaway food, not caring much for the calorie content or the nutritional aspect. Reminds me of my brother.

Stepping outside of the store we both feel the cold snap, turning our collars up and fetching our gloves. I was about to head east back to my house, but he had a question:

“Would you like a cup of coffee?”

I nod yes, and we look around to find the way to the nice coffee place. We seem to be in luck as the table by the window has just cleared and he takes a seat because I force him to.

“I think I owe you a breakfast, remember? I got my paycheck, let me return the favor,” I quickly snap and go to the bar. 

While I queue I steal a glance at him because he’s absorbed looking at his phone screen. His hair is messy after taking his beanie off, his cheeks are blushed by the windchill contrasted with the warmth inside the cafe, and he is as handsome as I remember him - I was not blinded by his charity that Tuesday morning.

Unfortunately for me he catches me looking at him, so I make my way back to the table with our orders and a load of embarrassment on me. 

Conversations with him since the first morning have improved majorly. Where we once were quiet and awkward now we are opening up, sharing details about our lives and tastes.

“You can’t really think the movie was better than the book,” he very nearly throws his arms up in a dramatic overturn.

“No, I just think…. the plot was clearer and it wasn’t full of filler like the books were.” I am speaking my mind, although considering his studies I should never have mentioned my preference for a movie adaptation of a classic.

“That’s fine and well but it comes with a small punishment for insulting a book,” he says after taking a sip of his coffee, raising his eyebrow at me.

“Ack, I should’ve known. I’m never speaking about books again!”

“It’s a small price to pay. I will choose something you’ll like, you’ll see,” he says into his drink. 

“Ok, I’m ready,” I sit up straight ready to accept whatever he throws my way.

“You must read my second favorite book of all time, which I’ll loan you a copy of… after you have dinner with me.”

My eyes open up wide as I remain silent. Is he serious?

“Ok you’re not responding… I’ll take that as a no,” he disappointingly comments.

“No no no… I mean yes to the dinner, sure.”

He smiles and I turn to look around the coffee shop to avoid his gaze in a sudden moment of embarrassment - just as I’m not used to a guy asking for my number, I’m just as taken aback by his brazen offer that we go out for dinner. As it happens, Ana, one of my bookstore coworkers is queuing up and, noticing my table companion, she’s giving me the thumbs up from the distance. Gosh I hope he doesn’t notice.

“You know her?”

Crap.

“Yeah one of my co-workers and she’s very discreet as you can tell,” I want to drown in whatever little coffee there is left in the cup as Sehun just grins like a fool.

“Are you almost ready to go?,” he says pointing at my cup.

“Yeah, let’s go…”

The bitter wind has stopped so at least we get some respite walking home. From what he has been telling me, it seems he lives a 10 min drive from me, more like 20min walking if he takes shortcuts. We’re pretty close.

“That’s why I really didn’t mind driving you that other night. I wasn’t stalking you to see where you live,” he waves his hands and wiggles his fingers as he looks at me saying that.

My backpack is feeling super heavy with all my groceries and he offers to carry it for me but I’m too proud to allow him to, so I push through and before I know it we’re at my steps.

“Thanks for the company while we shopped… although you didn’t buy much at all,” I laugh.

“Actually,” he looks at his feet in the dirty slush accumulating on the pavement, product of melting snow and rain accumulating for days, “I had already done my shopping when I saw you walking down the street.”

“What?”

“Yeah... I was heading home after all my shopping was done, but I saw you and I thought I’d tell a white lie, buy a couple of things with you and see if you were funny and smart like I remembered,” he coughs a little, “which you were, by the way.”

“You mean to tell me you went shopping twice just to keep me company?”

“No. Keep you company, spend time with you, and get to know you!”

I look into his eyes and the boyish sincerity in them makes my stomach flip a little. 

“I don’t know what to say to that, really,” I am very taken aback by his sudden revelation.

“Say that you’ll still go out for dinner with me? Or did that scare you off?”

“No, I’m not scared. I just wonder why someone would spend time out in the cold like that for… me, I guess.”

“You’ve not met you, then!,” he smiles and I can see a small hint of a blush.

I fish out my keys from my pocket to avoid the feelings accumulating in my stomach, that are inevitably turning into a full-on crush for the attention and compliments he’s not shy to pay me.

“About that dinner you want to take me out on?” I ask.

“Yes?”

Breathing deeply, I feel brave and decide to meet him halfway. “I’m not picky and have no allergies but I have an enormous sweet tooth. So, just choose based on that,” I laugh out loud. I could tell he was expecting a serious comment around the subject because he exhales loudly.

“I think I know just the place.”

I smile back at him and turn to get into the house, walking through the royal blue door, I see him walk away after my door closes.

“What’s got you so chipper today?,” one of my housemates, reeking of hangover, complains.

“Ah, nothing.” Like hell I’m going to talk to them about this.

I put my groceries away, and bring up some fruit and cereal bars to my room to ensure I put them in my bag every day before I leave when I have both class and work to go to. 

Throughout the remainder of the day I do laundry, iron work clothes, finish some required reading and by the time evening rolls around, I choose to start a new entry on my journal. Some of my friends think it’s quaint, but I have an inkling that this guy I met a couple of weeks ago is important somehow, and I need a reminder of something positive to look back to, considering the disastrous start of the semester.

My phone makes a noise halfway through my entry.

“Hey you.”

I reply back with “Hey yourself”

“It just so happens that we forgot to think of day and time for our dinner”

I nod to myself, thinking how I could have possibly forgotten. “Ok, I’m not working Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Obviously on weekdays I have class, though.”

Approximately 15 minutes go by before I hear from him again.

“Saturday, I’m picking you up at 6.30? We can go for a drink beforehand?”

“Great! See you then… or before if we bump into each other!”

I sit back to contemplate the situation. He’s sweet, quiet, obviously smart… and such a change from the people I’ve seen in the past. No one has ever been this forthcoming about getting my number, or asking me out, and I’m a bit out of my depth. I don’t know if I am entirely ready to start seeing anyone this early after my last heartache, but he feels comfortable to be with, and I feel somewhat attracted to the quiet serenity he portrays.

My phone rings again, and I thought it was him, but it is my co-worker, Ana.

“Who’s the cutie I saw you with??”

“Ah, someone I met recently… not too sure yet.”

“You’re in tomorrow, right?? Tell me all about it during our coffee break?”

“Sure… see you tomorrow.”

Such a nosy girl. I really don’t know what there is to tell about him, other than the silent, uncomplicated vibe he gives off. But sometimes that’s all a girl really needs.


End file.
